August Worthwhile Stuff

📚 Books
The Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy: I was not expecting The Lords of Discipline to be one of my top 3 favorite Pat Conroy books, but indeed it is. Though it’s one of Conroy’s earlier books, it has come nearly last in my reading of his works, and it can be difficult to extricate the fact from the fiction, as this autobiographical novel has many details that overlap with Conroy’s actual memoirs, as well as the autobiographical details in many of his other novels. The first parts of the book follow this standard Conroy autobiographical format, but the last 150 pages or so shift into a thriller centered on a brutal secret society. This last part of the book is especially affecting and devastating. Even if this is a work of fiction, military colleges sound awful, and it’s no wonder that Conroy’s experience at the Citadel had as profound an impact on his life as his father, the Great Santini, did.

Astral Season, Beastly Season, Tahi Saihate: Astral Season, Beastly Season is a slightly twisted coming of age story that is a perfect blend of darkness and innocence. The tone of the writing and the voices of the characters perfectly capture the wonder, confusion, and uncertainty of young adulthood.

🎶 Music
"Left and Right", Charlie Puth & Jung Kook: BTS may be on "hiatus", but that doesn't mean they are actually taking a break. As the first of two summer collaborations resulting in certified bops, "Left and Right" delivers a light breezy dose of playful pop.

"= (Equal Sign)", j-hope: The beginning of this song starts with the raw hip hop sound found throughout j-hope's Jack in the Box album, and then half way though switches to smooth R&B. I wish that second section were extended so I could coast on those mellow vibes even longer.

 

"Bad Decisions", benny blanco, BTS & Snoop Dogg: The second BTS collab bop of the summer fuses dance, hip hop, pop, and a certified earworm of a hook (Oooh! Aaah!) into an addictive sonic confection.

 

Funk Wav Bounces vol. 2, Calvin Harris: I've been a Calvin Harris fan since the beginning, and while I wish he would do more singing these days, I still support his work, though some of it connects more than others. Funk Wav Bounes vol. 1 was a bit hit or miss for me, but vol. 2 delivers all mellow late night, end of summer vibes that one could want. The best song in the set is "Obsessed" in which Charlie Puth channels Michael McDonald (just go with it), ably backed by Shenseea. Coming in at a close second is "New To You", feat. Normani, Tinashe & Offset. I also recommend pushing aside the rather banal Dua Lipa feature "Potion" and going for the Jora Smith feature "Somebody Else", which offers a seductive slow-burn sound. Other featured artists include Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Halsey, Justin Timberlake, and Pharell, all contributing their unique vocal styles on top of Calvin's slinky grooves and flawless production.

🎤 🎭 Performance
Once Upon a (Korean) Time: This entertaining and enlightening play presents four Korean folktales told by an assortment of 20th century characters at significant points throughout modern Korean history. At the end of the play, these framing stories are revealed to carry just as much weight as the folktales themselves, emphasizing the importance of storytelling within cultural identity, as well as to creating and maintaining family bonds -- whatever shape those may take. Daniel K. Isaac's script masterfully moves between terror and humor, despair and hope, glamour and sacrifice. The set is minimal yet creative, and the Sea King in The Story of Shim Cheong really deserves his own spin off show.